Sant'Antimo – Sentence reductions are coming for those responsible for the murder of Antonio Bortone and the attempted murder of Mario D'Isidoro, which occurred as part of the so-called "building feud" in Sant'Antimo.
On Thursday, the judges of the third section of the Naples Court of Assizes of Appeal, presided over by Melito, issued the second-instance sentence, partially overturning the first-instance verdict.
The Court upheld the grounds of appeal presented by lawyers Luigi Senese and Rocco Maria Spina, representing Michele Cleter, considered the alleged perpetrator of the armed raid, ruling out the aggravating circumstance of premeditation. This decision significantly impacted the sentencing.
Indeed, the very allegation of premeditation had precluded Cleter from accessing the summary trial procedure, reserved for proceedings not punishable by life imprisonment. With the elimination of the aggravating circumstance, the defendant was able to benefit not only from the reduction associated with the different characterization of the crime, but also from the one-third reduction in his sentence that he would have received had premeditation been ruled out at the preliminary hearing. The result was a revised sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.
Co-defendant Fabio Cuomo, represented by lawyers Claudio Davino and Michele Sanseverino, also received a favorable outcome: his sentence was reduced to 16 years and 8 months. Sentences were also revised for Gaetano Vallefuoco, who will serve 18 years and 8 months, and for Michele Landolfi, represented by lawyer Antonella Regine, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The events date back to the evening of March 8, 2023, when an armed commando entered the residential complex on Via Solimene, in Sant'Antimo. Antonio Bortone, 26, believed to be close to the Ranucci clan and brother of Cesario Bortone—detained for attempted murder—was killed with true mafia-like treatment: 13 gunshots fired at close range. At the scene, the Carabinieri recovered a total of 17 spent shell casings.
Bortone was found lying on the ground in the complex's courtyard. But he wasn't the only target of the raid. Shortly afterward, Mario D'Isidoro, 29, also arrived at the Aversa hospital. He was already known to law enforcement for previous drug, receiving, and weapons-related offenses. Three shots had been fired at him; his shoulder bag saved him, deflecting the trajectory of some of the bullets.
The investigation, conducted by the Carabinieri through wiretaps and video surveillance systems, had allowed them to gather a solid evidence against the defendants, believed to be part of criminal networks linked to the Ranucci clan.
According to the investigative reconstruction, the motive for the ambush was linked to the group's desire to take control of the drug dealing centers in the municipality of Sant'Antimo, in a context of high criminal tension that culminated in the bloody showdown.
(In the photo, starting from the left, Michele Landolfi, Michele Cleter, Fabio Cuomo, Gaetano Landolfi, and then the injured Mario D'Isidoro and the victim Antonio Bortone)
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The court rulings seem very complicated to me because there are so many details that I don't know whether they're correct or not, but it seems the judges made their decisions based on evidence. It's always sad to hear of murders and violence, especially in a place like Sant'Antimo.